Silanda
The Silanda was a pre-Imperial Quon dromon which was originally the only vessel sanctioned to travel to and from Drift Avalii to trade with the Tiste Andii. She was said to have disappeared when the Emperor's forces overran Quon, never to be seen again.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, US HC p.213-214 In fact, she was captured by Tiste Edur and her crew, mainly Tiste Andii with a few Quon Talians, beheaded and ensorcelled. According to Run'Thurvian, the nature of the sorcery included Kurald Emurlahn, Tellann, Telas, and a residue of Toblakai sorcery. The sorcery also led to a strange suspension of time aboard the vessel. Gesler once commented that he, Stormy, and Truth were unable to grow their beards while aboard ship.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 16, US HC p.443 The ship had three masts and twin banks of oars. The main and fore masts bore tattered square sails while the mizzen mast bore the remnants of a lateen.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, US HC p.213 The ship was made of a black wood, which emanated darkness and was without ornamentation.House of Chains, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.160/168 The bulk of the wood used in the ship's construction came from Drift Avalii.House of Chains, Chapter 8, US SFBC p.338-339 Within the captain's quarters was a map marking her final voyage. From a pine forested land of fjords unknown to the Malazan Empire, she had sailed east and then southward over a vast ocean.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, US HC p.217 Crew Thereafter, the crew of Silanda were the headless bodies of her last living crew, stationed three to an oar. Their still warm and animate heads were wrapped in sealskin left on the ship's deck. They were controlled with a bone whistle normally kept on a chain around the captain's neck.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, US HC p.215-216/218 It was unclear whether the heads were consciously aware of their surroundings, although they did focus their gazes on observers. In Deadhouse Gates ] Kulp, Stormy, Gesler, and Truth set out on the Ripath for Otataral Island to fulfill a promise the mage had made to Duiker. On the way, their ship was caught up in a strange fiery storm caused by a mad mage. After finally reaching shore, the four met up with Felisin, Baudin and Heboric. The group then left on their badly damaged vessel, but were forced to abandon it for the Silanda when it was drawn into a strange flooded warren tinged by Kurald Emurlahn and sunk.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8 Shortly after boarding the Silanda, the mad mage's storm caught up with them. Just as they were despairing, a hunting party of Logros T'lan Imass led by Hentos Ilm materialized aboard the ship. With their help, the insane mage was killed and the "wound" that had flooded the Warren was sealed. Afterwards, the T'lan Imass left to continue the pursuit of some of their brethren. Although the immediate problems had been resolved, the issue of leaving the flooded Warren still remained.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 9 Luckily, Kulp was able to use his Meanas Warren fashion an illusion capable of opening a rent back to their world using a passing undead dragon and the help of some Ascendants. However, another fire storm engulfed the ship and crew just as success seemed within reach. In the ensuing panic, Baudin grabbed Felisin and jumped overboard, landing on the continent of Seven Cities where they found Heboric and an unconscious Kulp already ashore. Stormy, Gesler, and Truth were presumed to have perished in the fires aboard the Silanda.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 11 The trio later reappeared hale and hearty, along with the ship to help evacuate the wounded from Coltaine's Chain of Dogs to Aren.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 16 In House of Chains Based on what was found by Gesler and Stormy, the following incident from House of Chains preceded their encounter with the vessel described in Deadhouse Gates. While being transported to Seven Cities from Genabaris as prisoners of the Malazan Empire, Karsa Orlong and Torvald Nom, along with the ship they were on and its crew, were pulled into a strange flooded warren during a bizarre magical storm at sea. They found a number of grounded, abandoned vessels, which were the wreckage of a naval battle between twenty low and sleek raiders and six larger, black, multi-decked vessels. The two former prisoners were able to salvage some food, water, and a dory with oars and a sail. They then set off to try to find their way to land.House of Chains, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.159-170 When their stores were nearly exhausted, they found the Silanda, the seeming flagship of the black vessels. Not abandoned like the others, it was crewed by Tiste Edur under the leadership of Binadas Sengar. Karsa single-handedly killed the crew when they attempted to take him and Torvald as prisoners. Binadas tried to use magic on Karsa but the attempt was futile and the mage was killed with a spear through the chest by Karsa.House of Chains, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.171-173 After Karsa and Torvald departed, the ship was visited by the seven insubstantial figures of The Unbound who quickly departed, sensing they were being hunted.House of Chains, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.176-177 The Silanda was ultimately impounded by Adjunct Tavore Paran upon her arrival at Aren with the Malaz 14th Army.House of Chains, Chapter 5, US SFBC p.255 Pearl and Lostara Yil questioned Gesler, Stormy, and Truth about their adventures aboard the ship during their mission to find Felisin Paran. The two imperial agents boarded the ship where Pearl felt nearly overwhelmed by the amount of sorcery soaked into the ship's wood and frame. He detected waves of Kurald Galain, Kurald Emurlahn, Tellann, and Rashan emmanating from the captain's cabin. In The Bonehunters At the time of the Last Siege of Y'Ghatan, Pella believed the ship was somewhere in the Kansu Sea, or west of it, along with the Malazan transport fleet and a sizeable escort of dromons.The Bonehunters, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.286 Notes and references de:Silanda pl:Silanda Category:Ships